BBC launches iPlayer Radio: a separate radio-only mobile app and web UI

No one can accuse the BBC of neglecting radio in its quest for streaming nirvana -- not when the number of radio listeners on iPlayer has shot up 56 percent in a year (and 300 percent on tablets). Nevertheless, from tomorrow morning, iPhone users will find a brand new way to listen to their favorite content: a dedicated radio app with a spinning dial which -- compared to the regular iPlayer app -- will put much greater emphasis on live shows rather than catch-up. There'll also be mobile-friendly features like an alarm clock which will wake you up to your choice of show, reminders for shows you just can't miss, and the ability to identify current and recently-played songs at a glance. The app will reach Android too, as soon as some Flash-related difficulties have been ironed out, and its alarm function will benefit from slightly better multi-tasking on Google's OS, so you won't have to leave the app open before you fall asleep. If you don't want to wait or if you're outside the UK, check out the desktop iPlayer at the source link, or the gallery below, and you'll see just what the Corporation's philosophy about treating radio differently -- rather than as "TV minus video" -- actually looks like.

[Source: Engadget]

Apple begins shipping its Lightning to 30-pin adapter at the speed of... freight

iPhone users with a flotilla of 30-pin devices, desperate to restore connectivity with their newest handset's natty connector, can rest easy. Cupertino has contacted several Australians who pre-ordered the 30-pin to Lightning adapter to tell them they can expect the first units to arrive tomorrow. The Stateside store is still promising a generic "October" launch, but it can't be too far away if the Antipodeans are getting theirs.

[Source: Engadget]

Native Facebook app for Android is in the final phases of internal testing

Remember when Mark Zuckerberg said that Facebook's HTML5 Android app was a mistake? Well, one of our tipsters, embedded deep inside the Social Network, has let us know that the native version for Google's mobile OS has entered final testing. As such, it won't be long before the software is ready for consumption by the public at large, give or take an angry Winklevii or two.

[Source: Engadget]

Larklife fitness tracker syncs your data over Bluetooth, knows when you're running instead of walking

In case you haven't noticed, fitness gadgets are having something of a moment right now. The past year alone has seen the launch of Nike's FuelBand, the ill-fated Jawbone Up and a refreshed line of Fitbit trackers. Now another product is arriving that promises to do basically the same thing -- namely, track your activity, sleep patterns and food intake using a wearable gadget and mobile app. That thing you see up there is called Larklife and for now, at least, it works exclusively with iOS devices. It's a splash-resistant (but not waterproof) band that has a pedometer inside, counting your steps throughout the day. It can also tell how long you sleep each night, as well as how long it takes you to nod off. There's even a vibrating alarm built into the band -- something we first saw on the Up earlier this year. (As it happens, Lark's earlier products were sleep aids, so the inclusion of this feature actually makes a lot of sense.) As for monitoring your dietary habits, Larklife doesn't automatically track your food intake, but the app does include a food diary where you can manually enter your meals.

Additionally, Larklife uses Bluetooth Smart to automatically sync with your iPhone so that you don't have to plug the band into a PC just to update your fitness stats. (The new Fitbit trackers work this way this too.) Additionally, the band uses a proprietary technology that can discern when you're running or walking, which means the app will log workouts even if you forget to enter them. The last intriguing bit is that the app dishes out smart, contextually aware advice. Didn't get much sleep last night? Larklife will remind you to eat more protein than usual at breakfast, so that you have enough energy to get you through the day. The app also rewards good behavior in the form of iOS notifications and colorful on-screen badges, though competing products admittedly take a very similar approach when it comes to keeping users motivated.

Larklife is up for pre-order starting today, and is priced at $150 -- a rather large premium over the new Fitbit One, which will sell for $100. As for precise availability, all we know is that retailers will start stocking Larklife "before the holidays." Whether that means Halloween, Thanksgiving or some gift-giving celebration will be revealed some other day.

[Source: Engadget]

Quicksilver Goes Mobile

Quicksilver are drawing in customers old and new with their Mobile Casino application. The popular gaming website have teamed up with leading gaming developers, Play N’ Go to bring their online players a huge new selection of original and high quality slot machine games straight to their mobile and tablet devices. 

With mobile technology having developed at such a perpetual rate over the last decade, and people relying more and more on smartphones for gaming and entertainment, Quicksilver’s application launch could not have come at a better time. The wide selection of games available from the mobile website is set to not only please current customers, but to also draw in new crowds of players. 

“Many of our players have been asking when they’ll be able to play Quicksilver slots on a mobile or tablet device. I’m pleased to announce that... they’ll be able to play a range of exciting games where ever and with whatever device they have,” said Technology Director of Quicksilver.co.uk, Nick Pearson. 

Not only is the Mobile Casino set to bring a new format for Quicksilver players to indulge in a huge selection of slot machine games, but Mr. Pearson even believes that it could revolutionise the future of online gaming altogether. “We firmly believe that mobile has finally reached maturity, offering players the same playing experience as they do through our online slot games,” he said. “With Smartphone / Tablet penetration now hitting over 50% of the UK population we believe the mobile casino platform will continue to grow and in the coming years more players will play slots through a mobile device than through a PC.”

To access the Quicksilver Mobile Casino, all you need to do is click to www.quicksilver.co.uk on your mobile or tablet device and then sign in with your player account. From there you will gain access to slot machine and casino games, all playable from your phone or Ipad. It really is that simple. [ADVERTORIAL]

Introducing the Vega Watch: A Revolution in Illumination

Ditch your dowdy digital watch and set your wrist to wow with this range of illuminating timepieces by exciting new fashion watch label VEGA. Unlike any other glow-in-the-dark timepiece, the entire face of the watch, and not just the hands, glows brightly in low lighting.

Bold wristwear is on the up and with ten delectable colour combinations to choose from, there’s a VEGA watch to suit any outfit. Collect the whole set and match them to your summer wardrobe - from a day time beach look to Ibiza inspired club-wear - or add a splash of colour to those pedestrian winter hues.

Newcomer to the fashion scene, the VEGA brand - brainchild of design-led UK gadget developer thumbsUp! - is aptly named after one of the brightest stars in the celestial hemisphere. The vivid glow of VEGA’s debut collection is all thanks to new technology Neoluxs. Neoluxs is a safe, army-grade material that stashes light via solar power using a crystalline structure and then slowly releases the energy for a brilliant, long-lasting glow.

You’ll be able to wear your watch all day in the sunshine, see it light up as the sun sets and then clock that it’s stillglowing the next morning when you wake up (or go to bed)!

VEGA watches are water resistant up to 50m, are protected by scratch resistant crystal glass and the mechanics come with a 24 month guarantee. If you’re looking to stand out from the crowd, VEGA will give you a good head start.

WSJ: iPad Mini mass production has begun, launch within weeks

The Wall Street Journal is adding its voice to claims that the iPad Mini is being mass produced en route to a launch later this month.

Apple Inc.’s Asian component suppliers have started mass production of a new tablet computer smaller than the current iPad, people with knowledge of the situation said, as the Silicon Valley company tries to stay competitive against rivals such as Google Inc. and Amazon.com Inc.that are offering smaller, less-expensive alternatives to the iPad.

The report says LG and AU optronics are making the 1,024-by-768 7.85-inch display, and they began production last month. More Mini parts including shells have appeared recently which could indicate finalized parts are in production. The biggest mystery remaining is price. Some speculate that it could be offered as low as $199 in the United States, while more conservative estimates point to $299 for the low-end model.

[Source: 9to5Mac]

Amazon Cloud Drive update adds easy iPhoto album uploads for Mac users

Amazon issued a press release today to announce that its Cloud Drive service is rolling out in Italy and Spain after hitting the United Kingdom, France, and Germany earlier this month. An easier way of uploading iPhoto albums for Mac users is also included in the updated Cloud Drive app release. Clicking the Cloud Drive menu bar item will allow you to select “Import from iPhoto,” and now you can select from multiple iPhoto albums sorted by events before uploading to Cloud Drive.

[Source: 9to5Mac - Read more there]

Google Street View is back on the iPhone, but it's not pretty

Last night, Google made good on its promise to make Street View available on iOS devices, but it's not pretty.

Google may or may not be working on its own iOS maps app, as Chairman Eric Schmidt says Apple device users shouldn't expect a Google Maps app anytime soon. In the meantime, Google's engineers did the next best thing -- they added Street View to the Web version of Google Maps.

To view Street View, just go to maps.google.com in mobile Safari or Google Chrome for iOS. You can't just tap on any location to view Street View. Instead, you may have to tap on a business or transit stop, or start at a known point and then "move" in Street View to the location you wish to view.

Unfortunately, there are some real issues with the temporary workaround. A number of users worldwide have reported gaps in the data where there was full coverage before, and Apple 2.0's Philip Elmer-DeWitt complained of frequent crashes.

It's not the perfect solution we all wanted, but at least Street View is back.

[Source: Engadget]

4G LTE to launch in UK on October 30

iPhone 5 owners in the UK have something to cheer about -- 4G LTE service will be available for the first time in the country starting on October 30th.

The ultra-fast LTE service will operate on the network of EE (formerly known as Everything Everywhere), a new joint venture of Orange UK and T-Mobile. Although Orange and T-Mobile customers will soon see their carrier change to EE, they'll need to have an EE data plan in order to take advantage of the faster speeds provided by 4G LTE.

At this point, the service is expected to roll out in 10 cities on October 30th. By the end of 2012, 16 cities -- which contain a third of the population of the UK -- will have 4G LTE, and EE expects 98 percent of the population to be covered by 2014.

[Source: TUAW]

OS X 10.8.2 Supplemental Update 1.0 live in App Store

Do you have issues with certain Japanese characters not appearing in Mail? Are you frustrated by Safari's inability to access secure sites when parental controls are turned on? Or is your system having trouble starting up with more than 64 GB of RAM? If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions, you may be interested in the OS X 10.8.2 Supplemental Update 1.0, currently downloadable from the App Store.

This 27 MB Mountain Lion 10.8.2 patch fixes the three specific issues listed, and does require a restart. Macworld notes that there's also a 10.7.5 Supplemental Update in the wild, which addresses a Time Machine issue and a problem with Developer ID-signed apps failing to launch.

[Source: TUAW]

Apple acknowledges anniversary of Jobs's death with video tribute

Apple replaced both its main page and storefront with a moving tribute to Steve Jobs that remembers his passing one year ago today. The short video clip highlights Jobs's achievements and includes pictures and quotes from the Apple founder. The tribute ends with a brief letter from Tim Cook, who asks us all to "reflect on his [Jobs's] extraordinary life and the many ways he made the world a better place."

[Source: TUAW]